The NFL season got started over the weekend with an incredible slate of Sunday games, which felt like a majority ended in the difference of one possession. It was all capped off by the Bills coming back from down 15-points in the 4th quarter to beat the Ravens, something the Bills haven’t done since 1967. An unbelievable start to a season we have been waiting on for months was a welcomed surprise. Hopefully, that excitement continues tonight with the Vikings and the Bears facing off in Soldier Field on Monday Night Football.
There’s been a lot of nervous energy floating around this year’s Vikings squad, mainly at the quarterback position. JJ McCarthy is poised to make his first NFL start after missing his rookie season with a knee injury. Vikings fans were thoroughly surprised by Sam Darnold’s 2024 season the way he commanded the offense and led the team to 14 wins and a playoff berth. But Darnold is in Seattle, and it’s now in the hands of McCarthy who has a lot to prove to the organization and the fanbase. He has a wealth of talent around him with one of the best wide receiver duos in the league in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, so there’s reason to believe he will have success.
The other discussion that has put Vikings fans into a frenzy is the daunting schedule ahead. The Vikings will face numerous playoff teams from 2024, and a host of playoff hopefuls in 2025. Not to mention they’re going to be the first NFL team to play back-to-back international games since the league started sending teams overseas. But all the focus falls on tonight’s game against the new-look Chicago Bears, and this test will be tough.
The Bears brought on offensive mastermind Ben Johnson to be their new head coach after he and his 2024 Lions offense set records with their seemingly unstoppable offense. Johnson brings his offensive prowess to Chicago that is also spilling over with talent, and a young and promising quarterback taking snaps.
This will be a tough matchup for the Vikings, especially considering the Bears are on the rise and many are saying the Vikings are headed the opposite direction. However, this was the same tune a year ago when Minnesota was set to kick off the season with a backup quarterback who never really found success anywhere else in the league. Last year, the Vikings ripped off five straight wins to start the season, and you can’t do that in 2025 unless you start 1-0 with a win tonight.
This game feels like it is going to be a high scoring affair, whether Minnesota joins in remains to be seen. The Bears seem equipped to put a ton of points on the board, and also feel like their plan for the season is to see if anyone can keep up with said offense. Maybe a shocker to some, the Vikings come in as road-favorites, getting 1.5 points from Vegas. The points total is set at 43.5 which feels like a low number with how much offense both of these teams can create. I am sure there will be growing pains, it is the first game of the season to be fair. However, I feel like we will see a lot of scoring out of one, and hopefully both sides.
Tonight’s game kicks off at 7:15 PM CT on KMLO and KPLO, where you can listen to Viking football all season long.
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